How To Care For Your Perm (Simple Tips)

Perms are back in style, turning straight hair into bouncy waves and beautiful curls. While a new perm looks great, keeping those curls healthy can be tricky. If you have a perm or are thinking about getting one, it’s important to know how to care for it.

This article will share How To Care For Your Perm and keep your curls vibrant. We’ll cover choosing the right products and washing techniques to keep your curls defined and free of frizz. Whether you’re new to perms or looking for new tips, these expert strategies will help your curls look amazing. Let’s explore how easy it is to care for your beautiful curls!

After Your Perm

After your perm, it is crucial to properly care for your new waves or curls to maintain their shape and health. Start using a gentle, sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner designed for permed hair. Avoid washing your hair for the first 48 hours post-perm to allow the curls to set. Once you start washing, use cool or lukewarm water, as hot water can cause the curls to loosen.

Invest in a wide-tooth comb or a detangling brush to gently work through tangles without disturbing the curl pattern. Consider incorporating a deep conditioning treatment into your routine once a week to keep your perm moisturized and frizz-free. Lastly, embrace air-drying as much as possible and minimize heat styling to prevent damage and help prolong the life of your perm. Following these simple tips, you can enjoy beautiful, bouncy curls for weeks.

Nourish + Moisturize Your Hair

Modern perms are better for your hair than older perms, but they are still a chemical process that can make your hair more vulnerable. It’s important to use nourishing products to help your hair recover. After a perm, your hair will be drier, so use a deep conditioner. The owner, Mateo Jon, suggests deep conditioning at least twice a week at first, then once a week after that.

Shampoo Less

Washing your hair too much removes its natural oils. After getting a perm, it’s important to keep those oils to keep your hair healthy and hydrated. So, wash your hair less often to keep it moisturized, healthy, and great-looking. When you do wash your hair, use a natural, moisturizing, sulfate-free shampoo, and always use conditioner.

Get the Right Products

If your hair has been chemically treated, you may need to change your hair products. Look for a shampoo and conditioner that enhances curls and provides moisture without being too heavy. Use a clarifying shampoo once a month to remove excess product and keep your hair and scalp clean.

Avoid products with silicone, alcohol, or SLS, as these can weigh down, dry out, and strip your hair of its natural moisture.

Dry Your Hair Correctly

Don’t towel dry your hair to get the best results because it can damage it. Use a wide-tooth comb to detangle your hair, then put on your leave-in and styling products. Let your hair air dry, preferably overnight.

Get Regular Trims

Trimming your hair regularly will help it stay healthy and look good. We suggest getting a trim every 6-8 weeks, depending on how quickly your hair grows, even if you want it to grow long.

Avoid Heat Styling

Try to avoid using heat on your hair. If you have to blow-dry, use low heat and a diffuser. Don’t use straightening tools, as they can cause split ends. Always use a heat protectant when using heat on your hair.

How To Care For Your Perm

Caring for a perm is essential to maintaining longevity and keeping your curls looking their best. One key tip is to avoid washing your hair for the first 48 hours after getting a perm, which allows the curls to be set properly. Once you start washing, use a sulfate-free shampoo and apply a moisturizing conditioner specifically designed for permed hair to keep it hydrated and frizz-free.

Regular trimming is important for keeping your perm looking fresh. Trimming off any split ends or damage will prevent frizziness and maintain the shape of your curls. Protect your perm from heat damage by minimizing hot tools and using heat-protectant products when styling. Embracing these care techniques will keep your perm looking gorgeous and healthy long after leaving the salon.

How Long Do Perms last

The length of time a perm lasts depends on several factors, including hair type and how you care for it. Typically, a perm lasts three to six months, but some people find their curls last up to a year with good care. Finer hair usually loses its curl faster than coarser hair, which holds its shape better.

How you style and care for your perm also affects how long it lasts. Using sulfate-free shampoos and moisturizing conditioners helps keep your curls healthy and prevents damage. Reducing heat styling is important too; air-drying or using cool settings can help maintain your curls and show off their natural beauty.

Getting regular touch-ups every few months helps keep your style fresh and allows you to try new looks as your hair grows.

What Happens To Your Hair After Perming It?

Perming your hair changes its structure using chemicals, which can harm your hair’s health. The perming solution breaks down your hair’s bonds, making it vulnerable to the chemicals that change its structure, giving it a wavier texture.

Getting a perm can make your hair look nice but also damage it. Some people may only have slightly drier hair after a perm, but others, especially those who have already used other chemicals on their hair, may end up with very dry, weak, and dull hair that needs to be fixed. After perm care, take good care of your hair to keep it looking beautiful and fresh.

It’s important to take care of your hair after getting a perm to ensure your new curls stay moisturized, shiny, and defined. If you don’t take care of your hair properly after a perm, it can cause problems for your curls.

Instead of having perfect ringlets, they might end up frizzy, perm, and poofy.

How To Revitalize A Perm

Is your permed hair feeling stressed from the chemical process? How to care for a perm? Here are steps to refresh and revitalize it.

Avoid Shampooing And Swimming For A Few Days

Aftercare for a perm starts immediately, not a week or a month later. It’s important to keep your permed hair healthy from the beginning, not just when it feels dry and brittle. The main rule is to avoid getting your hair wet or shampooing it for at least 72 hours after your salon appointment.

Wait for the perming chemicals to settle in your hair so your curls last longer. Don’t wash out the chemicals too early or your curls may not be as defined. Avoid chlorinated pools for about a week.

Chlorine and other minerals can harm your newly permed hair and ruin your curls.

Wash And Condition Your Hair With Sulfate-Free Products

If you have curly hair, avoid using shampoos and conditioners with sulfates. These harsh cleansing agents can dry out your hair and remove the perming solution that keeps your curls in place.

Choose hydrating products to nourish and enhance your curls. Look for shampoos labeled safe for colored hair, as they are free of harmful ingredients. I recommend the Honeydew Biotin Shampoo and Conditioner Set, which strengthens and adds volume to chemically processed hair.

This set contains moisturizing ingredients such as shea butter, coconut oil, evening primrose oil, jojoba oil, aloe vera, and sea buckthorn oil to keep your curls bouncy and shiny throughout the day.

Don’t Wash Your Hair As Frequently As You Used To

Don’t be too excited about wash day. Remember, as a curly girl, your hair is naturally drier than straight hair. The oils from your scalp have a harder time reaching the ends of your hair, making it more prone to dryness and brittleness. Try not to wash your hair as often as you did before getting a perm.

Washing your hair every day can remove the natural oils that protect it. Try to wait longer between washes to help your hair stay hydrated.

Moisturize Your Hair With Penetrative Oils

Perming can damage your hair and make it weak because it involves chemicals. Dryness is a big problem for curly hair, which needs moisture to look shiny and defined.

Adding moisture to your hair is great for making it soft and conditioned. After getting a perm, moisturizing your hair has two main purposes: repairing the damage and giving it the hydration it needs. This helps restore your hair’s natural shape and enhances your new curl pattern.

Natural Oils

Using natural oils is a great way to moisturize your hair. They can make your hair stronger, healthier, and shinier. They can also improve your scalp health. There are many natural oils, but coconut oil is popular because it nourishes the hair with fatty acids.

Almond oil is a classic choice for hair care because it has lots of vitamin E and magnesium. These ingredients make hair stronger and protect it from harmful free radicals. Almond oil is great to use before shampooing. You can apply it directly to your hair, leave it on for 30 minutes, and then wash it off in the shower.

You can also use light oils as a leave-in treatment. Argan oil is popular because it’s light and nourishing, moisturizing without making your curls heavy. It’s also good for adding shine to your curls after styling.

Deep Condition Your Strands Once A Week

Try using a deep conditioning mask to restore moisture to your permed hair. It’s important to condition your hair every time you wash it but use a thicker, more nourishing mask once a week to moisturize your permed locks deeply. One highly recommended option is the Kristin Ess Strand Strengthening Reconstructive Moisture Mask.

This conditioner is free of sulfates, phthalates, and parabens, making it ideal for chemically processed hair. It contains soothing and softening ingredients like silk, panthenol, keratin, red algae, and lychee extracts. A 10-minute treatment with this mask will leave your curls feeling silky, soft, and well-defined.

Do A Bi-Weekly Protein Mask To Repair Broken Hair Bonds

Use a protein pack on your hair twice a month to fix the bonds broken by the perm. Hair is made of proteins, but perming breaks down some of these, making your hair weak and dry. A protein-rich mask will strengthen your hair.

Hydrolyzed keratin or silk can strengthen damaged hair by filling in gaps and providing structure and bounce. Protein-rich masks repair fragile hair by increasing elasticity and moisture, making hair less prone to breakage and dryness. They also leave hair feeling soft and smooth.

Add Definition To Your Hair With Curly Products

Getting a perm gives you perfect curls when you wake up, but you still need products to maintain the definition of your curls. The SheaMoisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie is great for this.

It removes your curls, locks them in, and moisturizes your hair deeply. It has shea butter to condition your hair, coconut, and neem oil for shine, and it helps eliminate split ends and protect your hair from breakage.

Flip your hair over and scrunch it with a microfiber towel to remove excess water. This will help the curl-enhancing smoothie define and hold your curls for hours.

Avoid Frequent Heat Styling

Using heat to style your hair can make it dry and break your curls. Try not to use flat irons and curling wands too often. Instead, focus on wearing your permed hair without heat.

You might see frizz and dryness if you keep using heat on your curls daily.

Curls don’t look good with perms. Using heat on permed hair is not a good idea. It’s better to protect your hair and avoid damage. If you have to use heat, use a heat protectant. When blow-drying, use a diffuser.

This will help spread the hot air better to keep your curls in shape.

Get Regular Trims Every Month Or Two

Your curls will become less defined and weighed down as your hair gets longer. To avoid this, schedule a salon appointment for a trim every two or three months. Trimming your ends removes split ends, which cause frizz in curly hair. It also reduces the chances of your hair becoming poofy and triangular. Regular haircuts help maintain the bounciness of your curls and prevent frizz and flyaways.

Conclusion

Taking good care of your perm is important to keep it in good shape and healthy. How To Care For Your Perm? Follow the tips in this article to make sure your perm stays looking great for longer. Use sulfate-free products, avoid using too much heat on your hair, and keep your curls hydrated by moisturizing regularly.

Getting regular trims and touch-ups will also help your perm keep its shape. By following these simple tips, you can have lovely, healthy curls for a long time. Remember, if you care for your perm, it will look after you too!

Frequently Asked Questions